Prospects for Rubber Industry.

Abstract

Rubber has been in the country for almost a century but kept a very low profile. The actual
planting kick started after the 2nd World War with over 15,000 hectares mostly in Estates owned by large companies operating in PNG at that time namely, Steamships, Burns Philip and British New Guinea. The smallholder sector and resettlement schemes started taking shape in early 60's with new plantings in 8 lowland Provinces. All the latex from the trees was turned into RSS (ribbed smoked sheet) which at that time suited well for the simple farmer which needed very little capital input